Scaloppine Recipes

Baby Aria now has eight teeth and two more coming in. And boy, does she like to use them! She's not fussy at all when it comes to food. Aria and I usually eat the same meal. This evening, I prepared an "escalope de veau au chou fleur", which translates from French to "veal scallopini with cauliflower".

First, I browned slices of veal, then cooked a combination of cauliflower, Granny Smith apples and Sweet Million tomatoes as a side. I tied the dish together with gravy, and for added crunch, I added almond slivers at the last minute.

I have to admit that Aria’s favorite part of the meal was the cauliflower, and she wouldn’t have touched the veal if I hadn’t made her eat it. Lulu often reminds me that he never really liked the taste of meat when he was a child and by the time he was a teenager he happily gave up the idea of ever eating it again. I believe that if you train children to eat everything at a young age, they'll eat anything as adults. What do you think? Should I influence Aria to become a meat eater?

If you're looking for Valentine's Day dinner menu ideas, Escalope de Veau, sauce au vin Marsala should definitely be on your list. Veal steaks are slightly pounded, dredged in flour and pan-seared until golden. The real key to this dish is the rich and creamy garlic sauce made with Marsala wine. I know, garlic on Valentine's Day seems odd. But food that tastes great will set the mood, and what doesn't taste better with garlic?

I paired the veal with ratatouille, but if you'd prefer a starch, mashed sweet potatoes would make a great choice. The most important thing when preparing a romantic meal is to keep it simple. You don't want to spend the entire evening in the kitchen! Veal scallopini is a safe bet, brings the "wow" factor, and is delicious to boot.

** Note: I've gotten some questions about the thickness of the meat. In France, escalope de veau is usually at least 1-inch thick. I think that Americans are more familiar with the Italian version of the dish where the veal is pounded very thin.